Letter 1 of 35
Vowel Carriers · Vowel Carrierੳ — Oora
Sounds like the 'u' in 'put' — short and soft.
Why it matters: ੳ doesn't make a sound by itself — it's a holder that lets vowel marks like ੁ and ੂ sit on top to give you 'u' and 'oo'.
Example Word
ਊਠ
Ooth
Camel
Vowels ੳ can hold
ਉ
aunkar
"u"
short u, like put
ਊ
dulainkar
"oo"
long oo, like moon
ਓ
horha
"o"
o, like go
ਔ
kanaurha
"au"
au, like paw
ੳ is a holder — each vowel mark on top changes the sound.
Other letters in the Vowel Carriers
Trace ੳ
Free Printable Tracing Worksheet
Practise writing ੳ (Oora) with this free printable. Large reference letter at the top, dotted rows below — print at home on US Letter or A4.
ੳ (Oora) is the first letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet. It belongs to a special trio — ੳ, ਅ, ੲ — that don’t make sounds on their own. Instead, they’re vowel-carriers: small marks (called laga matra) sit on top of, below, or beside them to make the vowel sounds we hear in words.
How to teach a 4-year-old
Trace ੳ in the air with your child, then show them a picture of a camel (ਊਠ). Say “ੳ” then “ਊਠ” — the long oo sound is what they’re listening for. Make it a game: hide and find the camel.
Practice ੳ (Oora)
📖 Read about Oora in context
See ੳ alongside the rest of the Vowel Carriers in the free alphabet teaching guide. Open the guide →
Practise Oora on the go
Six interactive Gurmukhi games — tracing, recognition, memory match — free, offline, no ads.